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| US Air Force Launches New Missile System Named "MUTANT" |
Washington - The United States Air Force (US) last week unveiled a new missile system that will have more maneuverability to change course in the air and strike targets more quickly.
This new articulated missile system was developed by the US Air Force Utility Missile Transformation through the Articulated Nose Technology (MUTANT) project. The concept of missile articulation dates back to the 1950s but was not possible until the advent of modern technology.
The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) demonstrated how the new "MUTANT" missile would work during a demonstration at the Air and Space Forces Association Warfare Symposium in Aurora, Colorado, last week.
Quoted from Fox News, AFRL said it had developed an electronically controlled drive system consisting of an electromagnetic motor, bearings, gears and structure. The "composite skin" structure protects the drive components from the environment while maintaining the smoother outer molding lines, or "OML."
AFRL has added that weapon morphing technology will allow continuous OML changes to match performance at each phase of flight.
The missile control actuation system, or CAS, will allow the missile to have greater range, maneuverability and agility – enabling the missile to approach targets more effectively.
The AFRL will conduct three ground tests culminating in the dual articulation and maneuverability of the modified Hellfire missile from mid-2023 to late 2024.
The need for the missile to change trajectory and have more maneuverability has grown in recent years as the United States has become more vigilant about unidentified flying objects within its borders.
This problem was underlined last month after the US military shot down four objects from the sky in less than two weeks. One was a Chinese spy balloon that was shot down off the coast of South Carolina after crossing the US. When a US F-16 jet shot down an "unidentified object" over Lake Huron on February 12, its first attempt failed. The jet uses Sidewinder missiles to engage targets.